Powdered lipids, lipid granules, lipid cubes and lipid tablets are known. However these known product cannot be used to structure an oil phase in a food product comprising an oil phase, in the same way as such a product is structured by lipid crystallized from the melt, such as in a votator process for the preparation of margarine.
There is also a need for particular formulations (e.g. concentrates) for soups, sauces, boullions, seasonings which particulate formulations can disperse quickly in an aqueous liquid and/or in a food composition. There is also a need for a process for manufacturing seasonings and particular formulations for preparing boullions, broths, soups, which are in the form of cubes, tablets, etcetera. Usually such cubes or tablets are prepared using a process involving a compression step. Prior to such compression step, the ingredients are usually mixed. The ingredients are usually a combination of dry particulate ingredients (salt, MSG, herbs, spices, starch and starch derivatives) which typically 1-30 wt. % fat. Mixing such dry ingredients with fat can be cumbersome, e.g. involving melting of the fat, maturation times, and other inconveniences. Hence there is a need for an easy way of manufacturing such seasonings and concentrates for bouillons, broths, soups sauces in cube or tablet form.
Co-pending application PCT/EP2004/006544 describes edible dispersions, including water-in-oil emulsions, that comprise a structuring agent, specifically fat, having a microporous structure of submicron size particles. The water-in-oil emulsion may be a table spread. In the examples pourable emulsions and pourable dispersions were described. The edible dispersions may for instance be prepared by mixing an oil phase with structuring agent particles with a separately prepared water phase.